Leon Ntsele, 17, should be finishing her final years of school but is stuck at home because she does not have a birth certificate.
She dropped out of school when she was only 15 in Grade 7 at Ndukumbane Primary in King Williamstown in 2020.
She was sent packing to Harare township in Cape Town to her biological father after her grandmother died.
Her mother’s family could not afford to look after her and other children left behind by their mothers.
Even though she is a South African, born and raised in the country, she does not have a birth certificate.
Now her aunt, Nomawethu Ngwexane fears that she is being deprived of many things but mostly an education.
The worried Ms Ngwexane said she tried to enrol Leon in school but she could not be registered without any legal documents.
“This is my brother’s child who I love like mine too. It pains me to see her sitting at home. Instead she is made to prepare her siblings for school. She is supposed to be at school studying. I need any form of help for her to get an ID for her,” said the sobbing mom at her Khayelitsha home.
“I am worried about her future. There is no future without an ID. It is really hard for me to see other children off to school while she is cleaning the house, ironing clothes for others and cooking for all. She is late but she can go to college,” she said.
Leon said she dreamed of becoming a doctor and is adamant that if she can get an ID she would still try to reach her goal.
Home Affairs Department national spokesman Thabo Makgola advised Leon’s aunt to contact the local Home Affairs Department. “She will have to undergo the late registration of the birth process. Her aunt will have to go to the nearest Home Affairs where they will assist with the process,” said Mr Makgola